Vestry & Leadership Retreat

Fr. Daniel did an excellent job organizing yesterday's retreat at a retreat center in nearby Bellevue. It was in some ways short, with the following schedule:

10:00 Tour and Opening
10:15 Matins & First Meditation: What is The Spiritual Life?
10:45 Morning Retreat Session (silent time for reading, prayer or meditation)
12:00 Lunch (silent -- readings by Fr. McGrath & music)
12:45 The Litany & Second Meditation: The Spiritual Life as Communion with God
1:00 Afternoon Retreat Session
2:00 Workshop on Parish Programs and Facilities
3:00 Evensong
3:30 Closing
3:45 August Vestry Meeting

The meditations were centered on the first two of the four sections of the book The Spiritual Life (from four radio broadcasts) by Evelyn Underhill. There was plenty to consider, and from my perspective Fr. Daniel timed it all very well; not too much time, not too little. And each time in chapel we got to practice some "early plainsong"; we were rough at first, but improved a bit through the day.

It was odd, but for all that the facility was not that large during the meditation times I rarely saw anyone else. This picture shows one of the few exceptions.

I hope Fr. Daniel will forgive me but I'm an inveterate shutterbug. I had the camera along to capture some of the mood of the retreat, but in addition there were two or three pictures I just had to take. Including one of a pair of gloves on a bench in a remote part of the grounds; they looked to me like they were folded in prayer.

(BTW, today is Fr. Daniel's birthday. Happy Birthday!)

8/28 Update: Pictures posted.